The Alchemy of Chaos
Lately, in this new Matrix-like reality we all live in, I have been a part of a lot of conversations that include the phrase “this is unbelievable.” Half the time I’ve been the one saying it! Then I have to stop and laugh at myself. Me, the person who two years ago launched a business focused on navigating chaos is surprised by… chaos? Really?
The truth is our lives have all changed in unimaginable ways and we are collectively overwhelmed with pain, loss, and anxiety. The current state of the world feels unbelievable and unfair. But my experience navigating chaos over the past two decades has taught me that it is possible to hold both the grief while also not losing sight of a bigger picture. It can be difficult to practice self-awareness in the midst of crisis, but this is a practice we can sharpen over time. This writing is an exploration of chaos itself and the potential lessons it holds within.
Getting back to the question. Is chaos, when it strikes at this magnitude, really that hard to believe considering what we have happening around us all the time? Look at nature: hurricanes, tornadoes, fires, drought and look at all the effects those things have on every single system around them – changed ecosystems, damaged economies, significant loss of life. Do we see those things as unnatural? Or have we come to learn that they are a part of what it means to exist?
Chaos is a natural part of life. We can’t always prevent it, but we can always prepare for it and process it. It is painful, but it also provides needed opportunity for self-reflection and transformation.
Here’s how I see it:
Chaos is an alchemical process. It is the force that arrives abruptly and burns things down so that we may sift through the ashes and rebuild something golden from what remains.
While we navigate this uncharted territory and manage our own fears and worst-case scenarios, I hope we can also set our sites on the rebirth – on rebuilding things from the ashes that are meaningful, purposeful – truly generative.
If you’re ready to get into that state of mind with me, here are a few things you can do now to prepare for what lies ahead:
Use the Pause – We have been forced, by some greater power, to STOP and take a good hard look at our lives and at what matters most. Are you taking that cue for pause and evaluation or are you, instead, fighting hard to continue with as much rigor, routine and productivity as possible? Let me be clear - our lives can’t stop and YES business must continue to operate – which means each of us need to be productive. But what if this event is asking us to reevaluate what rigor, routine and productivity even mean in the first place. What’s the value in routine when it blinds us from life happening all around us? Where will rigor get us without integrating new realities into our approach? Is it time to redefine productivity? You’re being asked to look at these things deeply. We waste a lot of time trying to show our value, being busy for busyness sake, packing our schedules so we can be everywhere and nowhere all at once. Why? Really – take this moment and ask yourselves why. Ask yourself “why?” five times and write down each answer. Remember those answers even when this is all over – they’re part of the gift of this experience.
Let Go and Lean into the Current – We fight the flow of life way too hard. Sometimes something is not meant for us, but our ego can’t let go of it – so we spend precious time and energy fighting hard to hold on to copper when the universe is trying to replace it with gold. In our current world of chaos, things will change tremendously. For many this even means losing loved one and employment. This loss is extreme. But it is not going to be this way forever. We have to disentangle “pain” and “fear,” and not lose sight that brighter times could be ahead of us. Holding so tight to fear compounds the pain. Now is a time for faith and surrender.
Get Really Present – I was taking a walk with my sister this weekend (at a six-foot distance of course) and we were both commenting on how spring is blooming in big, bold and beautiful colors all around us despite the world’s decision to fall apart. Nature is remarkable that way - it just keeps going, steady from one season to the next showing us exactly how to handle change with grace. Kids are the same way. While I will be honest and admit that homeschooling while working has felt herculean, their presence has been another reminder of how their joy keeps springing up in the form of uncontrollable laughter at the oddest things – no matter how stressed or worried I am up here in my office. Their joy is a force – one that I can miss if I don’t pay attention. A lot of us are home with our kids, partners, roommates, ourselves – and there is so much to witness, to dive into, to lose ourselves in. There is healing in that. There is a return to simplicity and beauty and to our childlike selves in that – are we going to let that opportunity pass us by? I hope not. More than that, I hope we remember to take this presence – this appreciation of life’s smaller moments – into our daily lives when we are back at it again.
If this sounds like nonsense to you, then I’m going to ask you to look at yourself and figure out what part of you rejects this notion of hope, presence and growth. What part of you needs healing? Give that ogre inside some love and then tell it to get up and take a walk with you, play with the kids or cook something delicious. As you’re doing this, pay attention to the moments or sensations that bring even the tiniest smile to your face. Hold those feelings there – you have now become present. Now, think about how to use even that smallest spark to create change. Use this experience to ready yourself to transform your own home, life, career or business with the invaluable lessons chaos has brought to you.